MADURAI: Kidney patients at Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai (GRH) have been referred to hospitals in other districts for over seven months since the Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL) machine that is used for treating kidney stones expired.
The ESWL machine, also known as the lithotripsy machine, is used for a procedure that breaks down large stones in the kidney with ultrasonic shock waves from the machine, following which the small stones will pass through urine.
According to the sources, the lithotripsy machine at GRH was installed in 2008. It got damaged sometime around the last week of September 2022. "Since then, some four or five patients who require kidney stone removal treatment, have been sent to the Tirunelveli Government Hospital on a daily basis. Patients who come here expecting free treatment are forced to travel some 160 km from GRH to Tirunelveli GH, while suffering a lot of pain," sources added.
Under the Chief Minister's health insurance scheme, kidney stone treatment was being offered for free at the government hospitals in Chennai, Vellore, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Salem, Thanjavur, and Kanniyakumari.
Officials from the GRH said they have been requesting the government for over 10 months now to install a new ESWL machine that would cost around `3.5 crores. However, no action has been taken yet, they added.
Health Secretary Dr P Senthilkumar said he will immediately look into this issue and take necessary action.